All Nfc East Team

[dargonking999]

Thursday, June 9, 2005

The All-NFC East Team

Filed under:

• The Roundup
• Misc

— Will Parchman @ 10:49 am
Based on past performances, assessed talent and projected futures, I’ve made 1st and 2nd teams for an All-NFC East squad. Take it as you will, but I’ve included no rookies… perhaps leaving the door open for an All-NFC East rookie team?

1st Team

Offense:
QB - Donovan McNabb - Eagles
HB - Clinton Portis - Redskins
FB - Jon Ritchie - Eagles
WR - Terrell Owens - Eagles
WR - Keyshawn Johnson - Cowboys
TE - Jason Witten - Cowboys

T - Tra Thomas - Eagles
G - Larry Allen - Cowboys
C - Hank Fraley - Eagles
G - Marco Rivera - Cowboys
T - Luke Petitgout - Giants

Defense:
DE - Michael Strahan - Giants
DT - La’Roi Glover - Cowboys
DT - Cornelius Griffin - Redskins
DE - Jevon Kearse - Eagles

OLB - LaVarr Arrington - Redskins
MLB - Jeremiah Trotter - Eagles
OLB - Marcus Washington - Redskins

CB - Lito Shepherd - Eagles
FS - Brian Dawkins - Eagles
SS - Roy Williams - Cowboys
CB - Shawn Springs - Redskins

2nd Team

Offense:
QB - Drew Bledsoe - Cowboys
RB - Tiki Barber - Giants
FB - Jim Finn - Giants
WR - Santana Moss - Redskins
WR - Plaxico Burress - Giants
TE - Jeremy Shockey - Giants

T - Flozell Adams - Cowboys
G - Rich Seubert - Giants
C - Insert your favorite here: behind Fraley none of these guys are great right now. Al Johnson on the ‘boys probably shows the most promise.
G - Artis Hicks - Eagles
T - Jon Runyan - Eagles

Defense:
DE - Greg Ellis - Cowboys
DT - Cory Simon - Eagles
DT - Jason Ferguson - Cowboys
DE - Osi Umenyiora - Giants

OLB - Warrick Holdman - Redskins
MLB - Dat Nguyen - Cowboys
OLB - Dhani Jones - Eagles

CB - Terence Newman - Cowboys
FS - Sean Taylor - Redskins (I know, I know…)
SS - Michael Lewis - Eagles
CB - Sheldon Brown - Eagles

K - David Akers - Eagles
P - Jeff Feagles - Giants

My offensive and defensive breakout players of 2005:
RB Julius Jones - Cowboys
DT William Joseph - Giants

Eagles: 16
Cowboys: 13
Giants: 10
Redskins: 8

(…which is also the order I see the NFC East shaping up in 2005… creepy!)

Notes: As much as I wanted to put Julius Jones on the list, I couldn’t do it. Tiki Barber’s 2004 season cannot be ignored and Clinton Portis is a freak of nature. For Cowboys fans (and hopefully the rest of the NFL), Julius Jones as the breakout player of 2005 seems almost automatic… if he does well this year, the Cowboys do well. Maybe if Julius gets 1,500 yards this season it will cement his place on next years’ list . Sean Taylor made my 2nd team despite having one of the worst off-seasons one could possibly have… he has too much talent for me to keep him off. Now if this was a list of guys I’d want on MY team, Taylor would get nowhere near it… Keyshawn remains one of the games’ best possession receivers and I thought his exemplary season last year deserved credit. Two guys I almost balked on were Strahan and Kearse, but I left them on the 1st team because, well, it’s Jevon Kearse and Michael Strahan. Neither of them had unbelievable seasons last year (Strahan’s injury didn’t help that) but I think they’ve earned the right to be there. Any team that has those two guys lining up against them has to formulate a plan to stop them, and that alone makes them dangerous. Terence Newman would probably be on the first team… if you skip his 2004 campaign. Up until the last 5-6 weeks Newman wasn’t having a good year… his speed, natural skill and projected 2005 bumped him up onto the 2nd team. If this was just a team of 2004 performances, Newman wouldn’t be on it. Michael Lewis and Roy Williams as 1st team SS is a toss-up. I almost went with Lewis because Roy hasn’t yet played SS in the NFL, but in the end I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. William Joseph has the size to do well inside: I would not be surprised to see him have a 7-10 sack season. Jason Witten as 1st team TE was the easiest decision I had to make anywhere on the list. It’s fun to look around at the concentration of good players at different positions. The Redskins seem to be on the heavier side while the Eagles resemble a lighter version of a better team.


The HogmoliesCowboys Notes: Quincy Morgan injured his shoulder in practice last week diving for a pass. The injury will require surgery but Quincy and the Cowboys have decided to gut it out this season and play on it. While this is not a good thing (injuries never are) I’d be lying if I said Morgan was an impact player that meant a whole lot to the team. The only reason this worries me is because wide receiver is the weakest position on the roster and the team can ill-afford to slow down/lose players. It could be a strange but welcome twist of fate for guys like Terrence Copper and Patrick Crayton who are directly below Morgan on the depth chart. Since Morgan will be slowed considerably this year both Copper and Crayton will have plenty of chances to make their cases as legitimate starters in the NFL.

There have been rumblings that Bill Parcells’ ace in the hole this off-season is moving Larry Allen from LG to RT. I have some doubts about the move, but overall I can’t say it shouldn’t be done. Allen certainly has the size and experience to play over there, it’s just a matter of whether he can still be competitive at age 34 against a DE position that’s notoriously tough (and quick) in the NFC East. Here is what Jean-Jacques Taylor had to say about it in a Q&A earlier this week:

Q: If Larry Allen is improved as much as advertised, will he be moved to right tackle and Stephen Peterman be put in at guard?
- Mike Gray, Apopka, Fla.

TAYLOR: That’s an option the Cowboys are exploring. The idea is to get your five best linemen on the field, and that might be one way to do it. Allen worked at that spot in the last four days of their on-field activity days, which were not open to the media. Allen is in terrific shape and might be up to the challenge. It’s an important position in a division that features Michael Strahan and Jevon Kearse.

If Allen does end up being moved to RT than I have no doubts that he’ll be effective there. I don’t think Parcells would move Allen there unless he was sure he could handle the position.

[Hoov]

Is Dan Dierdorf now writing cowboys notes. "wide receiver is the weakest position on the the roster and the team can ill-afford to slow down/lose players.

[Ashwynn]

Make that list again at the end of the season and I bet there will be a few more Cowboys on it. I cant complain with that list now, but I think we will have many more pple on that list this time next year.

[ravidubey]

Choosing Keyshawn Johnson over Plaxico Burress is really weak. Griffin over Fergy? All three of the first team LB's are overrated. The RT the Giants signed is better than Runyan who is on the downside. The NFC East is stacked at running back; on paper Julius Jones is the worst starter. I see that paper changing big time come next season.

[LaTunaNostra]

Originally Posted by dargonking999

Quincy Morgan injured his shoulder in practice last week diving for a pass. The injury will require surgery but Quincy and the Cowboys have decided to gut it out this season and play on it. While this is not a good thing (injuries never are) I’d be lying if I said Morgan was an impact player that meant a whole lot to the team. The only reason this worries me is because wide receiver is the weakest position on the roster and the team can ill-afford to slow down/lose players. It could be a strange but welcome twist of fate for guys like Terrence Copper and Patrick Crayton who are directly below Morgan on the depth chart. Since Morgan will be slowed considerably this year both Copper and Crayton will have plenty of chances to make their cases as legitimate starters in the NFL.

I wish the FO or Tuna would speak up in the nature of this injury.

It's something that can be "gutted out" and "played on", but it's also something that will "considerably slow" Morgan?

Is it a muscle sprain, a torn rotator cuff, or what?

Even worse than having to play amateur sleuth is amateur medic.

[WoodysGirl]

Originally Posted by ravidubey

Choosing Keyshawn Johnson over Plaxico Burress is really weak. Griffin over Fergy? All three of the first team LB's are overrated. The RT the Giants signed is better than Runyan who is on the downside. The NFC East is stacked at running back; on paper Julius Jones is the worst starter. I see that paper changing big time come next season.

Maybe he's basing that on the 2004 season and not including any of the teams' offseasons. Free agents or draft picks.

I agree w/whoever said his Lber corp was weak. Arrington barely sniffed the field and doesn't belong on the 1st team.

[HTOWN COWBOY]

Let's not forget that we have the best head coach in the division. That is one more COWBOY in the first-team. Andy Reid would be second-team HC.

[Hoods]

Terry Glenn is better then Santana Moss.

[AtlCB]

Originally Posted by ravidubey

Choosing Keyshawn Johnson over Plaxico Burress is really weak. Griffin over Fergy? All three of the first team LB's are overrated. The RT the Giants signed is better than Runyan who is on the downside. The NFC East is stacked at running back; on paper Julius Jones is the worst starter. I see that paper changing big time come next season.

I don't agree:

Keyshawn Johnson 70 catches, 981 yards, 6 TD's
Plaxico Burress 35 catches, 698 yards, 5 TD's

[TobiasEagle77]

Originally Posted by dargonking999

Based on past performances, assessed talent and projected futures, I’ve made 1st and 2nd teams for an All-NFC East squad. Take it as you will, but I’ve included no rookies… perhaps leaving the door open for an All-NFC East rookie team?

Originally Posted by dargonking999

HB - Clinton Portis - Redskins

I think Tiki should get the nod here. Both run behind poor o-lines and accounted for most of their teams offense. Tiki is more versatile and explosive. In the past, he had the fumble issue which could have hurt him here, but he appears to be over that. I can understand the guys reasoning if he gave Portis the nod because of potential.

Originally Posted by dargonking999

T - Luke Petitgout - Giants

I would put a right tackle here, because it's a slightly different skillset. With that in mind, it would probably be McKenzie followed closely by Runyan. McKenzie gets it because of potential.

Other than that, I can't really disagree. I think Springs should be the first corner mentioned... but that's splitting hairs.